18 December 1642 - First Sighting By Abel Tasman

He's kneeling down by the remains of his dinner, a bird he doesn't know the name of when he first hears the shout. It's not a Maori voice, he can tell and there are so many of those voices, i's overwhelming. When he gathers courage to step out of the undergrowth though, he is bearing witness to a waka of warriors sailing out to meet another canoe - can it be called that? It doesn't look like one - which means he had unwittingly wandered to the settlements of a tribe. The scene playing out before him quells his worries and instead pulls his fear of the unknown back up, they are interacting with the white men (are they?) just fine, so far so good. The fight breaks out and scarlet life falls to mingle with the unforgiving waves below. Aoteroa is gone and thundering through the dense wildlife before he sees another warrior fall.

6 October 1769 - The First Landing By James Cook

He knew it before he ever wanted to. The Pakeha on their big boats where back and with them they bought another one like him, the flip side of who he was. He could sense them as they docked, and fell into crippling pain as they landed, knowing that his land was not going to remain his much longer. When they fought, he felt it as though he was taking every blow of his people; when they talked peacefully, a rare communication that disregarded the language barrier and brushed aside the blood mingling with the sea, he felt as though they were healing his wounds while simultaneously creating more.

unknown date 1825 - The Musket Wars

It felt as though all deities had deserted him. His entire body screamed with protest agasint every miniscule movement, simply opening his eyes brought forth the peaceful forest, a deception of how the land and the people of it were. His name meant 'Land of the Long White Cloud', and yet he could bring himself to simply believe that the ling white cloud was slowly turning to a deep grey and shedding tears for those it protected. The love for his people would never fade, even as he heard the footsteps of the man with deceptive eyes getting closer, he could not bring himself to resist. If this was what he needed to do to protect his people, he would do it.

6 February 1840 - The Treaty Of Waitangi

The pain had faded, a break from the agony of the ever resistant tribes, determined to save their lands, and yet there were more Pakeha on their way, and so there was a gathering, but not at a village. Instead, this meeting was in completely civil terms between the Pakeha and the tribes, for a treaty, for peace and equality and the chance for their peace that they had longed for, year after year. HE could still remember the stars of Matariki and how bright they shine in the night sky, the memories prominent even as he hears shouts in his native tongue and fighting from the meeting place, even as the tribes leave days later, een as he falls back into the pain, accepts and embraces it because to him, being in pain is better than being numb.

unknown date, 1849 - The Land Wars

Tears and blood mixed on his skin, wishing tio whatever deity above for help. The burning feeling brought upon by the raging wars couldn't be compared to that of having his tattoos carved, this pain was off the scale. The man with the kowhai hair came by now and then, but Aotearoa saw no sympathy. no regret, remorse or even a trace of care left in his eyes. The aborigines boy also came by every few days, calling him New Zealand, a name that he hoped he would never embody, despite the despair that told him his worst fears were coming true, far away from the falling tribes of Aoteroa, away from the gods, away from him.

25 April 1915 - The ANZACs Land At Gallipoli

He had always disliked the man with the kowhai hair and not-quite kawakawa eyes, and yet he found himself and th aborigines boy, the only nation he could truly consider a family, crouched in the dirt, amidst the screams and gunpowder, serving under his orders. For the years he had been under that man's control, within his house and fighting his wars, Aoteroa had tried to find a way to please the man in a way that was not submission. It was a war, worldwide, due to end by Christmas and yet it was still raging forwards; it had brought him pain and joy, for his people, now of Pakeha descent as well had united under one identity and yet they had waded into battle on a faulty command, falling like his brave warriors had at the hand of the Dutch explorer so many years ago.

21 January 1968 - Populate or Perish Scheme
War after war, everyone saying that this war would be the last began to seem more and more like lies to him than ever. Yet, the faithful aborigine boy - now a man - had the foresight to tell him that there was countries wishing for their young to forge a life in foreign lands. He welcomed them with his heart, as they poured in, the remains of his heart reminded him of the young children that would prosper here, the adults with their partners coming from countries that did not hold a single similarity to his that would cry and complain but would create a different version of him.

10 July 1985 - The Sinking Of The Rainbow Warrior

Peace. Peace. Just a few syllables and yet the true cost of it was sinking boats and lost life. The man who always smelled like roses had done it, they had admitted, rage and overwhelming emotion making him just want to break down. Greenpeace. The boat was sailing for peace and it came down in an act of war. His people had signed a treaty to protect them from this man and stop this, to give back lands and treasures but all they got was war and persuasion mixed with betrayal. It was a deceitful mix, slipping perfectly through the gaps in a broken nation's heart.

22 June 2018 - Modern Day New Zealand

A thriving, bustling land full of myths and legends, immigrants and natives, liars and lovers. For so long, he had never thought that he would reach this point, that earthquakes that rocked his land a swift reminder of the wills of the earth could not be defied and the prime minister that made history as the second prime minister to give birth while in office all made him exist, his history, his future. Even though the ties with some nations could never be restored, or even be made, he still stood tall; his family lay in the other oceanic, their languages and history, the wars that they were all still fighting to have their ancient lands restored to their tribes. Years of pain, years of sadness he willingly wore on his skin. He refused to let others mistake him for some young nation, he just wanted to be seen as he truly was.

Aoteroa.